Everyone Cam

Damn, I thought the most important part was when you called me and asked if you could take the day off due to a little situation! If I would have know all these details, I would have told you to get your burnt ass to work by 9:00am sharp!

7 AM, I hear a crash. Thought the fan fell out of the window onto the floor so I went to grab it and realize it is still in the window running - the extremely loud roar also told me that it was not the box-fan. I walk into the living room and see white smoke billowing out of the front of my neighbor's house. All I saw was the smoke. I thought that maybe someone was having some very big problems with a lawnmower. All the sudden the roaring stops. By this time I am outside - not thinking it is anything serious, I have only pajama pants and socks on. When I get around the corner I see a full size Chevy pickup truck impaled into my neighbor's dining room. Another guy is running across the lawn to help. We start freaking. Stupidly I ask him "Is anyone in there?" hoping he will say no. (Trucks don't drive themselves). "Yeah!!!" he yells. We jerk the door open - due to the crash damage it almost didn't open. I can't even see to the driver's side of the truck because there is so much smoke in there. Finally some of the smoke clears and I see the guy in there hunched over to the passengers side over the center counsel. I run back inside to call 911. Blaze blah they're on their way. While I am up there I throw on a t-shirt and sandals (the only shoes I can find to slip on) I run down there and see the guy that ran from across the street and he yells to me to get a hose. The only one I know about is the one on the other side of the house. I run to get it (thinking that while I am doing this, the guy is going to get the driver out of the truck). I turn the corner and slip on my ass from the dew on the ground - its 7AM, the grass is wet. I try and try to turn on the water but the valve isn't budging - it's already on. I start pulling the hose to me (most of it is in the back yard). Pulling and pulling waiting for the nozzle to be in my hand. Its taking forever and I feel helpless. FINALLY RUNNING WATER. I run around back to the wreck (being more careful at the turn this time) and find the driver is still in the truck! The fire has gotten worse now, and the engine fire has spread to the house. It is very hot. I throw down the hose and grab one of the drivers (Don) wrists. The man from across the street (Randy) grabs Don's other wrist. We pull and pull - the guy isn't budging. We pull some more. Fire is getting hotter; I can feel burning debris touching me. I stop momentarily to try to figure out why the hell this guy is not coming out of the truck (other than the fact that he weighs 270). SEAT BELT IS STILL ON!!! We push him all the way back into the truck and I lean in and undo the seat belt. Hot Hot Hot. We keep pulling and he's still not moving. I get into the truck and bend his right arm over my shoulder and use his elbow for leverage. NOW HE'S MOVING. Get him half way out then turn around and grab his wrist again. Pull him the rest of the way out of the truck. He falls onto the ground. The whole time he's been in and out of consciousness, not providing any help to get out of the truck - dead weight, groaning and gurgling, bloody. Blood on my shirt. I grab the garden hose that I drug out. Start watering down the engine. I get a lot of the fire put out. Fox 2 arrives, he casually sets the tripod and camera up....I'm thinking, what a nice day at work you are having - you wanna help out dickhead? Of course I don't say that to him. I continue putting water onto the truck, house. The inside of the truck is now fully engulfed in flames. Glad the driver is out. South Rockwood officer Mark Nieman gets to the scene along with a guy from the DPW who has two fire extinguishers with him. He quickly puts out the flames inside the truck (damn those extinguishers work good!) While I continue putting water on the engine. EMT and Fire Fighters get there. I move out of the way. They tend to the Don quickly but are just DRAGGING ASS on getting the house fire put out. Later when I show my father in law (who is a firefighter) the video from the news, he points out mistake after mistake that they make when putting this fire out. I was so frustrated, because it was my neighbors house, and I know how I would feel if they were taking their sweet ass time on putting out a fire at my house. Anyways...I make some phone calls to family, Becky (she was supposed to be in NY till Sunday but flew home a couple hours later), and some statements to the press, cops, etc. EMT looks at my burns, put some bandages, reccomend me to visit the doctor or ER today. I do that. Take the day off work. Watch the news. Turns out, the guy had a seizure and nailed the gas. He had just pulled out of his driveway. He lives down the street from me. His wife came by yesterday and thanked me. He won't walk for a year due to his leg bones being shattered so many places. The guy - Donald Trent, 29 years old is the wife of a woman Jeanine Wysocki, that works in the tax office with me. Small small world.

Crazy man. Thanks for sharing. I'd say that gets you enough good karma points for a lifetime. All I do is hold doors open for hot chicks. :)

I certainly hope so. Becky and I found the house of our dreams last night and we are going to try to buy it - even though it already has an offer on it.

My hat's off to you Shane. Good work. Did you really burn your ass?

No, just my neck and shoulder a bit. 2nd degree. Healing up nicely. Hurts a bit.